The oldest city in Holland

Continuing to take some advantage from living these past months in Dusseldorf due to the work contract, it’s great to take the chance for visiting that many cities all around, most of which really important and not only in Germany, but across the border into the Netherlands or Belgium. Distances from this part of Germany are really small to be honest, not to mention how easy is to reach a place or the other with such a great railway and road network.

So for today it was the turn of Maastricht, some 100 kilometres west of Dusseldorf. The oldest city in Holland, one of the most beautiful and historical retaining much of its original medieval fabric unchanged; although it’s difficult to find any city in the Netherlands which do not fall under the same beauty circumstances, no matter how modern and futuristic some are turning nowadays. And as a good note in here, the small size and short distances mean a day is well more than enough for visiting absolutely every sight. It is the fact that you could easily visit both Maastricht and Eindhoven in the very same day for example.

This is a very traditional city, you can feel the “real” Netherlands and its people, its culture. Quiet and laid back as opposed to what you will find in Amsterdam and Rotterdam where majority of tourism go. The Meuse River splitting the city in two, and the Jeker River cutting through the historical old town with two branches create great perspectives from the many bridges and the ancient houses built literally on top of the river. There is without doubt a great collection of renaissance style houses scattered all over the city, truly worth to come and enjoy.

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